PG&E, Local Fire Safe Councils Empower Communities to Help Prevent, Prepare for Wildfires

$2.3 Million Will Fund Fuel Breaks, Clear Evacuation Routes in 28 Counties

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. — Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) has joined forces with local Fire Safe Councils to enhance the safety and preparedness of local communities in connection with the 2020 wildfire season. PG&E is providing $2.3 million to fund local Fire Safe Council and 501(c)(3) organizations projects across 28 counties to reduce the threat of wildfires and help keep communities safe.

“With the increased wildfire threat our state faces, we all must continue to adapt to these challenges and find ways to reduce the risk of wildfire. We appreciate our ongoing partnership with local Fire Safe Councils and nonprofit organizations to complete this important safety work. These projects create fuel breaks to protect communities, clear vegetation from evacuation routes, and help underserved customers create critical defensible space to protect their homes from fire across our service area,” said Andy Vesey, PG&E Utility CEO and President.

“The California Fire Safe Council is pleased with PG&E’s continued commitment to funding local Fire Safe Council wildfire mitigation projects. The flexibility and immediate availability of PG&E funding allows for immediate use in communities as well as matching funds for federal grants,” said Patty Ciesla, executive director of the California Fire Safe Council.

Since 2014, and including this year, PG&E will have provided $17 million to local Fire Safe Councils and 501(c)(3) organizations to fund more than 300 projects in Northern and Central California. Projects have included fuel reduction, shaded fuel breaks, emergency access and wood-chipping programs. This year, PG&E is providing funding to local councils and nonprofits to complete approximately 41 projects in 28 counties. Projects must be completed by November of this year. A list of Fire Safe Councils and 501(c)(3) organizations receiving project funding is below.

Community Wildfire Safety Program

In addition to partnering with local Fire Safe Councils and 501(c)(3) organizations, PG&E is preparing for wildfires through its Community Wildfire Safety Program. The company launched the program in 2018 as an additional precautionary measure intended to reduce wildfire threats and strengthen communities for the future. Through the program, PG&E is bolstering wildfire prevention and emergency response efforts, putting in place new and enhanced safety measures, and doing more over the long term to harden its electric system to help reduce wildfire risks and to keep its customers safe.

Local Fire Safe Councils and 501(c)(3) Organizations Receiving Funding for Projects

OrganizationCounty
Amador Fire Safe CouncilAmador
Bennett Ridge Fire Safety OrganizationSonoma
Butte County Fire Safe CouncilButte
Calaveras Foothills Fire Safe CouncilCalaveras
Calaveras Resource Conservation DistrictCalaveras
California Fire Safe CouncilNorthern California
Calaveras Healthy Impact Product Solutions (CHIPS)Calaveras
City of Santa CruzSanta Cruz
Diablo Fire Safe CouncilAlameda/Contra Costa
El Dorado County Fire Safe CouncilEl Dorado
Fire Safe Council For Monterey CountyMonterey
Fire Safe Council of Nevada CountyNevada
Fire Safe Council of Santa Cruz CountySanta Cruz
Fire Safe SonomaSonoma
FIRESafe MARINMarin
Hayward Fire DepartmentAlameda
Highway 108 Fire Safe CouncilTuolumne
Highway 168 Fire Safe CouncilFresno
Iowa Hill Community ClubPlacer
Lassen Fire Safe Council, Inc.Lassen/Shasta
Lower Mattole Fire Safe CouncilHumboldt
Mariposa County Fire Safe Council, Inc.Mariposa
Mendocino County Fire Safe CouncilMendocino
Napa Communities Firewise FoundationNapa
Plumas County Fire Safe CouncilPlumas
Regional Parks Foundation/East Bay Regional Parks FoundationAlameda/Contra Costa
San Luis Obispo County Fire Safe CouncilSan Luis Obispo
Santa Clara Fire Safe CouncilSanta Clara/Santa Cruz
South Skyline Fire Safe CouncilSanta Cruz
Trinity County Fire Safe CouncilTrinity
Woodside Fire Protection DistrictSan Mateo
Yankee Hill Fire Safe CouncilButte
Yosemite/Sequoia Resource Conservation & Development CouncilMadera
Yuba County Watershed Protection and Fire Safe CouncilYuba

Forward-Looking Statements

This news release includes forward-looking statements that are not historical facts, including statements about the beliefs, expectations, estimates, future plans and strategies of PG&E Corporation and Pacific Gas and Electric Company, including but not limited to statements about PG&E’s ongoing work to reduce wildfire risk. These statements are based on current expectations and assumptions, which management believes are reasonable, and on information currently available to management, but are necessarily subject to various risks and uncertainties. In addition to the risk that these assumptions prove to be inaccurate, factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contemplated by the forward-looking statements include factors disclosed in PG&E Corporation and Pacific Gas and Electric Company’s joint annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019, their joint quarterly report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2020, and their subsequent reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), which are available on PG&E Corporation’s website at www.pgecorp.com and on the SEC website at www.sec.gov. Additional factors include, but are not limited to, those associated with the Chapter 11 cases of PG&E Corporation and Pacific Gas and Electric Company. PG&E Corporation and Pacific Gas and Electric Company undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether due to new information, future events or otherwise, except to the extent required by law.

About PG&E

Pacific Gas and Electric Company, a subsidiary of PG&E Corporation (NYSE:PCG), is one of the largest combined natural gas and electric energy companies in the United States. Based in San Francisco, with more than 23,000 employees, the company delivers some of the nation’s cleanest energy to 16 million people in Northern and Central California. For more information, visit pge.com and pge.com/news.

Translate »